Finger-operable dispensing spray pumps are typically adapted to be mounted on hand-held containers. Such containers are commonly used for liquid products, such as household and automotive cleaners, industrial preparations, and personal care products such as hair sprays, deodorants, colognes, and the like. Typically, the pump is operated to produce a fine mist or atomized spray.
Finger-operable pumps conventionally employ a pump chamber in which is disposed a pressurizing piston that can be actuated by pressing down on an external actuator button or plunger. A spring acts against the piston or actuator button to return the piston and actuator button upwardly to the elevated rest position when the finger pressure is released.
Typically, a valve member is provided within the pump and is biased by a spring to close a discharge passage at a valve seat. This permits a predetermined pressure to be built up within the pump chamber as the pump actuator is pressed downwardly. When the pressure force within the pump chamber exceeds the valve member spring biasing force, the valve member opens to permit discharge of the pressurized liquid from the pump chamber.
The discharging liquid exits the pump through a nozzle as a jet stream, a coarse spray, an atomized fine spray, etc., depending upon the structure of the nozzle, operating pressures, stroke speed, and characteristics of the liquid being dispensed.
Typically, finger-operable spray pumps have generally circular cylindrical components which are attached to a generally circular neck of a container. Generally, the size, weight, and complexity of the pump components and container combination discourage the use of such combinations as give-away items to provide product samples for advertising purposes. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a finger-operable pump dispenser which could be made relatively inexpensively and in a small enough size for use as a give-away sample system for advertising purposes.
Further, it would be advantageous if such an improved pump dispenser could be provided in a generally flat configuration for being placed between the pages of a newspaper or magazine as an advertising insert.
Further, it would be beneficial if such an improved pump dispenser could accommodate incorporation in a relatively flat configuration for readily accepting printed advertising text and graphics for display in an easy-to-read manner.
It would be desirable if such an improved pump dispenser could also be produced in a size small enough to fit in a pocket or purse and could dispense sprays of perfume or other products, such as medicaments, insect repellant, etc.
Preferably, a pump dispenser incorporating such improved design features should also perform consistently with respect to the discharge particle size and the required actuation force as well as with respect to the quantity of discharged product per full stroke actuation.
Advantageously, such improved design features should also be readily incorporated in the pump dispenser and in components therefor so as to facilitate economical manufacture, high production quality, and consistent operating parameters unit-to-unit with high reliability.
The present invention provides an improved pump dispenser system which can accommodate designs having the above-discussed benefits and features.